"A blog is to a writer what a canvas is to an artist." ~ Colleen Redman

Archive for September, 2006

As a writer, it seems that I seesaw between the fast-paced productiveness of writing and the dead end crash it leads to when the bottom falls out. When I’m inspired, I complain that can’t write fast enough. When I’m not, I whine about having nothing to say. I know I should enjoy what is commonly […]

1. If I was an alien and I landed on earth I’d say TAKE ME TO YOUR OCEAN instead of TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER. 2. The next line would be, “and don’t forget the PEOPLE magazine.” 3. On vacation, life decisions come down to whether we should ride our bikes from the campground to […]

We had to avoid stepping on frogs the size of flies that were hopping across our path. The sand felt like talc beneath our bare feet. We followed others who seemed to know the way. Eventually, the narrow winding pathway opened to an eerie scene. People walked in groups, in pairs, or on their own, […]

“If it’s this hot in late September, I wonder what it’s like here in summer.” Colleen to Joe Day 2, The Outer Banks: The roar of the ocean is not like holding a shell to your ear. The magical illusion of the ocean’s color in evening has given way to muddy green. The shells and […]

When I’m retired I’ll walk the beach, collecting seashells. I’ll drop them like other people drop coins into a glass jar at the end of each day. ~ Colleen I’m the only one on the beach collecting shells. The whole beach? For me? When I was young I only picked up the perfectly formed shells. […]

1. Overbooked 2. Overcrowded 3. A sweeping change 4. A clean sweep 5. Even lawnmowers have bumper stickers Post note: There’s a change on the horizon, having to do with getting away from it all and involving my favorite thing, the ocean! Posting may be erratic. See you soon!

1. My sister has been doing a week long series of “100 Things About Me,” featuring many of our family members. You can check it out HERE. 2. My hands frequently slip on the keyboard while typing, and things ensue that I have no control over. Periodically, I have to abandon a word document and […]

For the first anniversary of the Spoken Word Open Mic at the Café Del Sol a lawyer from Washington D.C. with aspirations of becoming a musician scribbled his poem on a scrap of paper before coming up to the stage to read it. Dr. Sue Osborn was in the house with her son Mars. She […]

Longtime member and photograph archivist of the Floyd County Historical Society, Kathleen Ingoldsby, was instrumental in bringing the Historic Walking Tour to Floyd. She was the spark behind the creation of the eight panel, fold-out walking tour brochure guide, complete with sepia photos and descriptive listings of 45 historic sites in Floyd. While attending the […]

~ Taken from her talk in Floyd Virginia, September 16, 2006. To upcoming writers: Learn everything you can about the world. Start books that no one will want to read. Having something to say is more important than trying to guess what people want to hear. Quit smoking. Live long enough to have something wise […]

Downtown Floyd was abuzz with the sound of weed-whacking and lawn mowing. As I made my way through town yesterday hanging flyers for our next Spoken Word event, I couldn’t help but notice the smell of freshly mowed grass wafting through the air. Everywhere I went, up and down Locust and Main Streets, people were […]

In a private woodland setting on a warm August afternoon, Phyllis Stump transformed herself into Orlene Puckett, the legendary local midwife. For nearly two hours, Ms. Stump, a storyteller and actress, held the attention of approximately 15 of us who attended her one-woman play. Under an open tent, to protect us from the bright sun, […]

The Scrabble dictionary isn’t really a dictionary at all. It’s a book designed to keep players from spending all their time fighting over what’s a word. ~ Stephen Fatsis 1. Standardized spelling is a modern invention that dates back to the late 19th century. President Andrew Jackson said this: It’s a damn poor mind that […]

The mantra is the vehicle that knows the best shortcut when my mind is downtown traffic ~ Colleen Redman We’Moon is a best-selling appointment book, astrological moon calendar, earth-centered spiritual guide and multicultural handbook in natural rhythms. Now in its 26th year of publication, We’Moon is created for, by and about womyn. ~ From the […]

Death is a season rather than a single date. I hadn’t been home from the last funeral for even a week when the terrorist attacks on the U.S. took place–September 11, 2001. Two towers came down, one right after the other like my brothers did, killing over 3,000 innocent people. Now the whole country was […]

About

From the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia I write to synthesize what I'm learning at the time, whether it be poetry, a political commentary, or a letter to my mother in Hull, Massachusetts, where I'm originally from. Whenever I don't know exactly what it is I'm doing and it borders on wasting my time, I call it research. 'Dear Abby, How can I get rid of freckles?' was my first published piece at the age of 11.